Static is a City - S/T EP

After hearing rough mixes of the songs "The Hive" and "Recidivist Mantras" I was rather excited to hear the finished product on
Static is a City's debut EP. Hailing from Raleigh, a city
I came close to relocating to, the newly formed
Static is a City enter the fray with the most impressive debut these ears have heard since Red Hare's
"Nights of Midnight". The band, which features former members of Dahlia Seed (Chris Skelly) and Milemarker (Sean Husick) display a unique ability to allude specific genre trappings. Pairing post hardcore guitar intricacies with math rock precision and vocals that brought me back to so many of my favorite indie/emo bands from the 90's. As this small sampling of songs wash over me, the words "thoroughly impressed" fail to convey what I'm experiencing. Static is a City's debut inspires deeply emotive feelings. The actual record is currently held up in pressing, but will be available in a few weeks. In the meantime, it can be downloaded on iTunes.
For more information about the band, check out their page here. Reverbnation
James Damion

Empire - Shedding Skin

On "Shedding Skin", Raleigh North Carolina's Empire waste no time introducing themselves.
The five song EP opens with "Set in Stone" A gripping track that introduces itself with a vocal attack that almost perfectly describes the EP's title. Painfully stark vocals that evoke feelings of pain and loss. Screamo vocals complimented by a sweeping emo inspired guitar sound that adds an element of beauty while forging a dissonance. It's a common thread throughout the five songs that give the EP a nice balance. Though "Shedding Skin" is delivered in just over eleven minutes, it left me with a lasting impression. One that had me looking forward to more in the future.
James Damion

Empire  Facebook